ANJ publishes semiannual report: online market records €1.45bn in H1 2026

The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) published its semiannual report on online gambling and betting on 15 October 2026. The online market reached a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of €1,45bn in the first half of 2026, an increase of 11% year‑on‑year. The regulator stresses that the growth was concentrated in June, the month the FIFA World Cup began.

Overview of the first half

For the ANJ, the market GGR excluding casinos and gaming clubs amounted to €5,66bn in H1 2026, a rise of 0,5% versus H1 2025, compared with +4,1% a year earlier. The online market already represents 25,6% of the total excluding casinos and clubs. The report notes a slowdown in overall market growth, although the licensed online segment is driving expansion, mainly due to the dynamics of sports betting.

The ANJ recorded 5,85m active player accounts (APCs) in the first half, an increase of 24% year‑on‑year.

Sports betting: concentrated in June

Online betting registered a GGR of €1,45bn in H1 2026 (+11%). Stakes for the period rose 10,6% to €6,6bn. Between January and May stakes grew 4%, but in June there was a spike of +47%. The ANJ attributes part of the increase to calendar concentration with the World Cup start and to promotional activity: acquisition bonuses were nearly four times higher in June compared with June 2025.

The ANJ's October 12, 2026 press note on 2025 places 2025 bets at €11,52bn (+12%) and GGR at €1,77bn (+10,4%), with 3,65m unique players (+8,6%). Football remains the main driver: it accounted for 54,9% of bets (€6,32bn, +10,2%) and produced a GGR of €1,05bn (+11,8%).

Supply expansion explains part of the volume: the UEFA Champions League rose from 137 to 189 matches (+38%) and betting on the competition increased 48,6%. The new Club World Cup added 63 matches that generated €248m in bets, or €3,9m per match; the Champions League averages €4,4m per match. With €829m bet across the season, the Champions League was the football competition that generated the most bets in 2025. The Paris Saint‑Germain vs Inter Milan final produced €38,2m in bets; the Club World Cup final between Chelsea and PSG recorded €26,7m.

Tennis was the second largest sport by volume with €2,65bn in bets (+16%). Grand Slams concentrated 26,6% of tennis bets; the ATP Masters 1000 events represented 16,6%; WTA circuit betting rose 33%.

Other segments and player behaviour

Poker reached a GGR of €290m (+13,4%). The ANJ indicates that average daily wagers (ADWs) rose year‑on‑year and by 39% in the semester.

Horse racing bets showed 16% growth in stakes to €920m, their largest increase since 2021, despite the number of players rising only 3%.

Activities of incumbent operators: FDJU and PMU

La Française des Jeux United (FDJU) recorded a 2% drop in GGR in France in H1 2026, to €3,43bn; in H1 2025 it had contributed 2,7 points to market growth. The decline is concentrated in lottery games, which fell by €64m. Draw games fell 7,6%, FDJU says, due to “smaller and fewer Euromillions jackpots and lower retail footfall in Q2 linked to the heatwave.”

Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) saw its exclusive‑rights activities decline for a third consecutive year: stakes fell 3,8% to €3,1bn and its GGR dropped 5,8% to €782m.

Risks identified by the ANJ and player behaviour

The report analyses less‑high‑profile football competitions. The 93 competitions that each represent less than 2% account for €2,3bn, i.e. 37% of total football bets. Those competitions are played more heavily in‑play: 48% of bets live versus 34% in the major competitions. South American leagues typically occupy the overnight window in France, and Asian and Oceanian leagues the mornings.

The ANJ detects that players identified as excessive or manifestly excessive concentrate more than 80% of bets in the leagues of Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia. The authority clarifies that “this result does not necessarily imply those competitions have higher addictive potential,” and links the statistic to a lack of recreational bettor interest in those leagues. In Q2 2026, bets on a specific period of play (half‑time, quarter, set or game) were placed by excessive or clearly excessive players in between 80% and 89% of cases. The ANJ suggests this finding “could argue for better integration of player protection” into the rules for licensed platforms.

Return indicators and odds adjustment

Journal des Casinos reported the annual average return to player (RTP), capped by regulation at 85% per operator, at 84,67% in 2025. After reaching 94,5% in September, RTP fell to 82,3% in October and to 74,2% in November; the ANJ says this sequence “appears to reflect an adjustment of odds at year‑end.”

The ANJ report links the strong June rise directly to the World Cup; for regulatory details of the report consult the section on [regulation](/regulation). For data and trends in the sports betting segment see also [sports betting](/sports).